Christmas Day
by Stevie Malfoy
Summary: Draco's been gone for moths after the war, and Harry is distraught. Will Draco fulfill his Christmas promises? Or s all hope lost?


Your eyes are green, like the summer grass, Your lips are red, like a fresh cut rose, Your hair is soft, like an Irish spring, And your voice is filled with sweet beauty, And the last words I heard him say were, "I shall return for you, my love, on Christmas Day." Christmas Day- Dido  
  
Harry blindly swept for the alarm clock that was buzzing loudly on his nightstand. Why did it have to go off just then? As always, the alarm clock had woken Harry from his dream, the same dream he had every night for the past month. Harry had tried setting the alarm clock later so that the dream could carry out, but it was always interrupted as the alarm clock rang out. It was right before he and Draco's lips met...Draco...  
  
Harry whined as he rolled out of bed, he didn't feel like facing the world today; no, not today. "Or maybe," he thought, "I don't feel like facing the world alone today." The word alone made him shutter briefly, for he was all alone in his small flat in London. He glanced briefly at the calendar onside of his bed. December 25. It was Christmas day and Harry did not even realize it. A pang ran through Harry's heart. He's not here.  
  
One month previous he had made a promise. He told Harry he would be back today...he promised. "Well the day is young," he mused, "I'll give him time." Draco told Harry that he would be back for Christmas, but that was a month ago, amidst the war, and no one had seen hide or hair of him since. Maybe, just maybe...  
  
Harry shuffled to the kitchenette to make his morning cup of tea. His pajama bottoms hung from his scrawny but muscular frame and dragged on the cold tile floor. As he made his way to the pantry, thoughts were heavy on his mind, thoughts of that day. The victory had been so bittersweet. He won the war, he should be ecstatic, but the one that he wanted to celebrate with was nowhere to be found. He had seen him the night before, amidst the flying curses and hexes. He had said, God Harry could remember it so clearly, that he would find Harry again by Christmas day, no matter what happens. He told him he loved him; that he always has and always will. Harry knew it was true, and he loved Draco with every last bit of his entire being. He told Harry that if he didn't return, to move on. And that was it; Draco ran directly into enemy fire. That was the last he had seen of him since he defeated Voldemort. Harry sighed heavily as he set the kettle on the stove.  
  
Harry went to retrieve the morning paper from the hall. He hastily grabbed the paper and went back inside, just in time to hear the familiar whistle of the tea kettle. He went back to the kitchen to remove the kettle from the stove. He took out two cups, as if by habit, and glumly put back the second as he realized his error. "And you would think that after a month I would have learned by now," he thought, reprimanding himself.  
  
After letting the tea bag soak, Harry went to his room, kicking various robes out of his path, and grabbed his big, warm bath robe. After fastening it around his waist, he took his tea and sat out on the small balcony that overlooked the Thames River. Shivering at the harsh cold, he pulled up a patio chair, and sipped absentmindedly at his tea. The smell of the cold air reminded him of Draco...  
  
Before he knew it, he was finished his tea. He took one last glance at the river and went inside. Shaking off the few snow flakes that had settled on his shoulder, Harry decided to light a fire. He walked over to the small fireplace and with some patience he managed to get a nice, cheery fire going. The fire reminded him of the Gryffindor common room...he wished things were as simple as they were then. Of course, Harry had always complained of how hard things were while he was at Hogwarts but as soon as he left, he felt like the burden he was carrying multiplied a thousand times. Luckily, it wasn't long after he left Hogwarts that he fought and won the war...and lost Draco.  
  
Draco. Everything reminded him of Draco. The slightest movement, or sight or smell reminded himself of him, and how much he missed him. Ever since Harry and Draco had discovered their love for each other, Harry had never had a lonely day. No matter what Draco was always at his side. Sadly, the past month had been the loneliest of his entire life. Sure, he was alone at the Dursley's, but he never had any company or comfort there to be bereft of so he never really knew what he was missing out on. Then Draco showed up and showed him things he had never seen, made him feel ways he had never felt before, and taught him thing he had never known before. Draco completed him; he was his other half. Suddenly the familiar taste of salt was on his lips; he was crying and didn't even realize it. Harry threw himself down on the couch with a groan, silent tears still streaming from his eyes, and fell into a restless sleep.  
  
Four hazy hours later there was a knock at the door. Harry, awoken from his slumber, opened his eyes lazily. The fire was reduced to a glowing heap of ash and he realized some time must have passed. The knock sounded on the door again, it sounded urgent.  
  
"Who is it?" Harry asked with obvious drowsy tones in his voice.  
  
There was no answer.  
  
"Whatever you are selling, I'm not interested," Harry said, slightly annoyed and wanting to get back to his elongated nap. He was alone on Christmas Day and he did not want to dwell on that; sleep was a better alternative.  
  
"I beg to differ," said a voice from behind the door.  
  
No, it couldn't be.  
  
Harry, utterly confused, grabbed his discarded bath robe and threw open the door. His eyes must be playing tricks on him. There, in the hallway outside of his door, was Draco Malfoy with a shiny red Christmas bow atop his head. Harry nearly fainted from shock.  
  
"Merry Christmas," the blond play-sneered.  
  
Harry, whose emotions had shot through the roof, grabbed the blond around his waist and clutched the slender man for dear life. He swung the man around in a circle before placing him down on the ground again. He stared in awe.  
  
"Be careful, I'm a fragile package."  
  
Words failed Harry; Draco was standing outside his door and he looked as if he hadn't been gone a day.  
  
"Get in here now!" Harry exclaimed, "You're never leaving me again!"  
  
Harry grabbed Draco's hand and led him to the sofa. After seating him properly, he leapt in his lap and immediately began to kiss Draco all over.  
  
"You're—never—leaving—my—side—again," he muttered between kisses.  
  
"Well, it certainly is a warm welcome. Don't you want an explanation?" Draco half said half gasped as Harry kissed his neck right in that spot.  
  
"I don't want and explanation, not now anyways. I want you to sit here and let me kiss you until I am blue in the face," Harry practically commanded.  
  
"Harry, blue really isn't your color and it will clash with your eyes--" was all Draco managed to say before Harry's mouth came over his, and enveloped him in a kiss that fully made up for the month of his absence.  
  
After Harry gave Draco a proper snogging, he went to the kitchen to make tea for the both of them to talk over. A thousand questions flooded his mind but he told himself all will be answered in due time. He reached into the cupboard and grabbed two cups. This simple gesture almost brought tears to his eyes; he was here, never to leave his side again.  
  
The tea was made and he snuggled down on the sofa with Draco; his mere presence sending shivers down Harry's spine. There was so much he wanted to know, and so many missed kisses he wanted to make up for. They sipped their tea in silence for awhile and stared into each other's eyes for a long time. It was Harry who finally broke the silence.  
  
"Tell me what happened, from beginning to end," Harry said.  
  
"Alright, this may take awhile. Well, after I left you..." Draco's story went on, telling of his capture by Death Eaters and abandonment in the forest after his torture. He told of his journey out of the wilderness and how he managed to get home again. "And I got in yesterday. Finally I am home."  
  
"Got in yesterday? You were here last night and made my spend another cold night alone in my bed?" Harry questioned.  
  
"Harry, I reeked of garbage, had had the same clothes on for an entire month, and needed a bath...there was no way I was showing up on your door step smelling like the town dump!" Draco said with enthusiasm, "I went to the Leaky Cauldron and washed up, vowing to come straight here in the morning after I went to Diagon Alley to pick up some new robes. Plus, I promised I'd be here by Christmas day. And I never break a promise."  
  
"I love you, Draco."  
  
"I love you too, Harry." 


End file.
